In a hit-or-miss Stanley Cup playoffs, Maple Leafs-Bruins has been the strongest draw.
Sunday’s Bruins-Maple Leafs first round Stanley Cup playoff Game 6 earned a 1.3 overnight rating on NBC, down 19% from last year (Penguins-Flyers: 1.6) and down a tick from 2017 (Senators-Bruins: 1.4).
Despite the decline, the Bruins’ series-tying win tied the highest overnight rating of the postseason. It matched Game 2 of the same series on NBC the previous weekend.
Game 5 of the series on Friday night had a 0.58 final rating and 969,000 viewers on NBCSN, up 18% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (Flyers-Penguins: 0.49, 875K) and up 45% and 51% respectively from 2017 (Maple Leafs-Capitals: 0.40, 642K).
It ranks as the most-watched game of the postseason on cable.
As for the other series, Friday’s Avalanche-Flames nightcap drew a 0.44 (-2%) and 712,000 (-11%) on NBCSN. On Thursday, NBCSN drew 824,000 viewers for Capitals-Hurricanes Game 4 (+46%) and 655,000 for Golden Knights-Sharks Game 5, while USA chipped in 411,000 for Blues-Jets Game 5 (-24%).
Returning to the weekend, NBC earned a 1.2 overnight for Hurricanes-Capitals Game 5 Saturday night (-8%) and a 1.0 for Stars-Predators Game 5 Saturday afternoon (-17%). Five of six playoff games on NBC have declined in the metered markets.
Overnights for weekend games on NBCSN were not available.
[Numbers from Nielsen via Sports Business Daily 4.22; Programming Insider 4.22; ShowBuzz Daily 4.19]
